[b-greek] Grammar question in Luke 3

From: Ken Litwak (javajedi2@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Feb 02 2001 - 07:08:12 EST


   I have a couple of grammar questions in LUke 3.

1. Luke 3:19 ends with a participial clause concerning Herod, and then
gives Herod's name in the nominative. While I realize that Greek words
can be in pretty much any order, since they sefl-identify their function,
I am wondering if the word order would justify taking (Hrwdos with the
verb at the start of 3:30, "Herod added to..." rather than with the
participila phrase in 3:19 "all the immoral things Herod was doing"?
Would the word order lead a Greek reader to put Herod with the following
verb or the preceding participle, sinc eof course, there was no
versification to interfere with proper understanding?

2. in Luke 323, we read AUTOS HN IHSOUS APCOMENOS (WSEI
I am wondering how to render or understand AUTOS. "Jesus himself" "THis
same Jesus"? Then I have a question about the periphrastic here. It
should be translated something like "Jesus was beginng" I think. Do we
supply an implied EIMI before (WSEI or do we omit ARCOMENOS altogether?
What is this saying?

3. In the following geneaology, all the names are separated merely with
TOU. I know that at least one grammar treats this specific construction
as some sort of genitive of relation or the like. Is this the LXX/NT way
of showing descent, or would any Greek speaker have used this to show
descent? Are we justified in understanding it as "Joseph son of Eli" or
should we assume that TOU followed by aname had no special meaning fora
Greek speaker and just leave it ambigious "Joseph of Eli" or perhaps treat
it as a genitive of source "Joseph from ELi"?

 4. Im finding some of LUke's Greek a bit difficult, and I'm wondering
what I owuld have to do for it to seem common place. Take three yeas of
Attic? WWhat would be the minimum work to maek Luke's Greek be more
"normal-looking", rather than it being somewhat exceptional comapred to
other NT writers?

  As an aside, I was quite amused to read LUke 3:26, because if we
consider the Hebrew letters which are probably behind the names here, Yoda
is in LUke's geneaology!

    Thanks.


Ken [Litwak]
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